BACKHUYSEN UACON. 



to iiltiT it. unless both parties agree to iL 

 M ," fl,,ift,'s (I'tintet, improved from the late ft and best 

 authorities.) 



BACKHCYSKN, Ludolf, a very celebrated painter of 

 the Dutch scliool, particularly in sea pieces, l>oni in 

 1631, at Eiubdeu, was first employed as a clerk by his 

 father, who was secretary to the states-general. He 

 afterwards entered a mercantile house at Amsterdam, 

 and, without instruction, began to sketch the vessels 

 which arrived in the harUmr. These attempts met 

 witli applause, ami led him to devote himself entirely 

 to painting. He received instruction from von Ever- 

 ilingen, and soon acquired, by his assiduity, and his 

 frequent visits to the rooms of the best artists, an ex- 

 traordinary degree of facility and skill ; but what 

 most contributed to his rapid pi-ogres* was the zeal 

 with which he studied nature. On the approach of a 

 storm, he was accustomed to embark in a light boat, 

 und calmly observe the motions of the waves, the 

 tremendous shock of the breakers, and the tossings 

 of the agitated vessels. The terrified sailors often 

 forced him to the shore, in spite of his earnest en- 

 treaties. Full of what he had seen, he then hastened 

 home, without speaking a word, or allowing his at- 

 tention to be distracted by any other object, and com- 

 pleted, with admirable exactness in the most minute 

 particulars, the sketches which he had already made. 

 This courageous zeal procured his pictures the first 

 rank in their class. Several princes visited his rooms, 

 and Peter the Great even wished to take lessons of 

 him. The burgomasters of Amsterdam commissioned 

 him to execute a sea piece, for which they paid 1300 

 florins, and which they presented, in 1665, to Louis 

 XIV. This beautiful picture is still in Paris. In all 

 his paintings, the utmost truth prevails. His colours 

 are excellent, and his stroke is remarkably well suited 

 to imitate the water and its motions : his skies are 

 light, and of great variety. B. also attempted poetry, 

 and gave instruction in penmanship. His gayety and 

 strength of mind did not quit him even during the 

 long sufferings which put an end to his life, in 1709, 

 at the age of 78 years. His pictures will always re- 

 tain a high value. At the sale of the pictures of P. 

 de Smeth, in Amsterdam, 1810, four pieces of Back- 

 huysen were solid for 550, 805, 980, and 1400 florins. 



BACON, Anthony, the son of Sir Nicholas, and elder 

 brother to the celebrated lord chancellor, was born 

 in 1558. He studied at Cambridge, and travelled 

 much. In 1579, he went to Paris, and resided there, 

 and in other parts of France, a considerable time. He 

 there became acquainted with Henry IV., with whom, 

 and with many of the first literati of Europe, he car- 

 ried on an extensive correspondence after he had re- 

 turned to England. The time of his death is not 

 known. 



BACON, Francis, baron of Verulam ; one of the most 

 remarkable men of whom any age can boast ; a re- 

 former of philosophy, by founding it on the observa- 

 tion of nature, after it had consisted, for so many cen- 

 turies, of scholastic subtilties and barren dialectics. 

 He was born at London, in 1561, and displayed, from 

 his earliest childhood, proofs of a superior mind. In 

 his 13th year, he entered the university of Cambridge, 

 where he made astonishing progress in all the sciences 

 there taught He had not completed his 16th year, 

 when he wrote against the Aristotelian philosophy, 

 which seemed to him more calculated to perpetuate 

 disputes than to enlighten the mind. It was then the 

 custom, in England, to send abroad, particularly to 

 France, those young men who were destined for pub- 

 lic life. Young B. went to Paris in the suite of Sir 

 Amias Paulet, who soon after sent him to England 

 with an important message. He discharged it to the 

 satisfaction of the queen (Elizabeth), returned to 

 France, and travelled through several provinces of 



that country, to study its manners and laws. When 

 19 years old, he wrote a work, entitled, Of the Stutc 

 of Europe, in which lie gave the most astonishing 

 proofs of the early maturity of his judgment. The 

 death of his father called him back to England, where, 

 in order to be enabled to live suitably to his rank, he 

 devoted himself to jurisprudence, and pursued the 

 study of the law with so much success, that lie was 

 made counsel extraordinary to the queen before lie 

 was 28 years old. His professional labours did not, 

 however, make him lose sight of the idea, which he 

 had early conceived, of reforming the plan of scho- 

 lastic studies agreeably to sound philosophy. His 

 place was more honourable than lucrative. H.'s tal- 

 ents, and his connexion with the lord treasurer, Bur- 

 leigh, and his son Sir Robert Cecil, first secretary of 

 state, seemed to promise him the highest promotion ; 

 but the enmity between the latter and the earl of 

 Essex, likewise a friend and protector of B., prevented 

 his advancement Essex endeavoured to indemnify 

 him by the donation of an estate in land. B., how- 

 ever, soon forgot his obligations to his generous bene- 

 factor, and not only abandoned him as soon as he had 

 fallen into disgrace, but, wjthout being obliged, took 

 part against him on his trial. Against this ingrati 

 tude the public voice was raised, and, whatever B. 

 might say in his justification, he remained at court 

 the object of hatred to one party, and of jealousy to 

 the other, and the queen did not appear inclined to 

 do any thing in his favour. In parliament, he con- 

 ducted himself, for some time, with dignity and inde- 

 pendence. He had been chosen member for the 

 county of Middlesex, in 1593, and voted with the 

 popular party against the measures of the ministers, 

 though he continued in the service of the crown. 

 But, towards the end of Elizabeth's reign, his parlia- 

 mentary conduct became more servile. If any thing 

 can excuse him, it is his poverty, which was so 

 great that he was twice arrested for debt. The reign 

 of James I. was more favourable to him. The prince, 

 who was ambitious of being considered a patron of 

 letters, conferred upon him, in 1603, the order of 

 knighthood. Having been commissioned to make a 

 representation of the oppressions committed by the 

 royal purveyors in the king's name, he executed the 

 task with so much address as to satisfy both the king 

 and the parliament. The house of commons voted him 

 the public thanks, and James made him one of the 

 king's counsel, with a pension of forty pounds, which 

 was soon followed by another of sixty pounds. His 

 situation now continually improved : he contracted 

 an advantageous marriage ; in 1617, was made lord 

 keeper of uie seals ; in 1619, lord high chancellor 

 of England and baron of Verulam, and, in the follow- 

 ing year, viscount St Alban's. He might now have 

 lived with splendour, without degrading his character 

 by those acts which have stained his reputation. 

 Nevertheless, great complaints were made against 

 him. He was accused, before the house of lords, of 

 having received money for grants of offices and 

 privileges under the seal of state. He was unable to 

 justify himself, and, desiring to avoid the mortification 

 of a trial, confessed his crimes, and threw himself on 

 the mercy of the peers, beseeching them to limit his 

 punishment to the loss of the high office which he 

 had dishonoured. After he had acknowledged, by 

 an explicit confession, the truth of almost all the 

 charges, notwithstanding the intercession of the king, 

 and the interest which they themselves took in one 

 of their most distinguished members, the lords sen- 

 tenced him to pay a fine of 40,000, and to be im- 

 prisoned in the Tower during the pleasure of tjie 

 king. He was also declared for ever incapable of 

 place or employment, and forbidden to sit in parlia- 

 ment, or to appear within the verge of the court. 



